I empathise with various parts of this. I've been in Brazil since 2004, and folks here often ask me if I'm staying (if I could get a decent job I might!). Being an expat, or more so someone with experience of different places, does give you a better perspective of the world.
don't know mate...depends who you are. you can spend years in one place or travelling the world but in the end if your eyes are closed you won't see anything...geography won't change that. i was saying that my experience of being away from England and my native language...having to come closer to the Russian way of life and become fluent in Russian...has left me in a strange position. I feel neither English nor Russian but understand both places better now than before. I question things about "Englishness" i'd taken for granted before...i look on some stuff through semi-Russian eyes now - gift culture and systems of reciprocity for example...how people behave...how they view "friendship" etc. Being away will change you with time...add something...maybe take something away - don't know.
Yep, finding well-paid work (by western standards) can be a problem in Russia too... unless you're up for working in the mafia! =)
i'm not fully part of any country, ethnic group or community...i'm more like a fragment of many people's lives...and they're fragments of mine
You know, just last week, when I came back to Sweden from the holidays in my original country, I saw a poster on the airport here that said something similar. Roughly translated from Swedish it would be something like this:
"I am an expat and a global citizen: at home everywhere, but not really belonging anywhere."
Just thought this was a curiously similar to what you wrote here.
Anyway, yes, I also get a lot of "do you plan to stay here" questions as well and never really know what to say to that.
So, you're from...where? and now living...where?! What are you doing?
Don't know about that ad...probably trying to get someone to buy something as usual! Most people aren't like that...even if they've just stepped off a plane...they need to "belong" and are afraid of leaving their homeland to go and live and work abroad...this is especially true in England...and amongst a lot of my friends. Here, you're regarded as "a bit strange" if you live anywhere non-english-speaking...to them, living in Russia is like living on the moon!
I'm Canadian, and I've been in England for about 12 years now (how'd that happen?). The down side to not being able to plan ahead would appear to be getting a bit stuck.
mmm...yep, some people i know are moving from the UK to Canada soon...they love wild moose, see?! best place for 'em i've heard! =) yep, 12 yrs is pretty long...why England?
I know the feeling. I am from the States but I have been living in Namibia for the past year. I am getting ready to go back to the States and I am really curious about what I will see when I return. I wonder what will be different or strange that a year ago seemed like the most normal think in the world. I expect I will leave again at my next opportunity because I am still looking around the world.
The national language here is English but because it has only been this way for 16 years not everybody speaks it. So, I also have learned some basic Afrikaans for those situations where I need to communicate and no one speaks English. I am actually a historian and I am here to conduct research on the German colonial period of Namibia.
My thing is, now that I have distanced myself from the States for a whole year, the easier it is to keep transplanting. I mean, you start to realize that the world doesn't revolve around your being there. Friends and family will communicate with you if they need to, but everyone is a free agent. Home is home, but hell, give me the whole world anytime.
I'm thinking, after Japan, it's Colombia all the way. Or China...
U in Japan now?! Cool. Was thinking about getting out there to do some EFL teaching...but need to find something for my russian g/f. Heard girls can work as models and in bars where they just make casual conversation with japanese businessmen...that true?! What u up to in Japan?
I am teaching EFL for one of the big firms here, AEON. And, yes, it is very true that the Russians make up a big portion of the hospitality industry. Even here in my small city of Tokuyama, we have many Russian girls who work there. Most of them only speak Russian or Japanese, so I haven't gotten to know very many.
Japan is good. The money is excellent (most salaries are about the same, although I'd avoid Nova as I've heard mostly complaints), and the lifestyle is great if you like to drink and socialize.
Comments 33
Reply
Yep, finding well-paid work (by western standards) can be a problem in Russia too...
unless you're up for working in the mafia! =)
Reply
I like the idea of being a global citizen, but I've never been particularly bothered about patriotism. I feel enriched by the process.
Reply
You know, just last week, when I came back to Sweden from the holidays in my original country, I saw a poster on the airport here that said something similar. Roughly translated from Swedish it would be something like this:
"I am an expat and a global citizen: at home everywhere, but not really belonging anywhere."
Just thought this was a curiously similar to what you wrote here.
Anyway, yes, I also get a lot of "do you plan to stay here" questions as well and never really know what to say to that.
Reply
Don't know about that ad...probably trying to get someone to buy something as usual! Most people aren't like that...even if they've just stepped off a plane...they need to "belong" and are afraid of leaving their homeland to go and live and work abroad...this is especially true in England...and amongst a lot of my friends. Here, you're regarded as "a bit strange" if you live anywhere non-english-speaking...to them, living in Russia is like living on the moon!
Reply
Reply
where are you now?
Reply
Reply
yep, 12 yrs is pretty long...why England?
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I'm thinking, after Japan, it's Colombia all the way. Or China...
Reply
Reply
Japan is good. The money is excellent (most salaries are about the same, although I'd avoid Nova as I've heard mostly complaints), and the lifestyle is great if you like to drink and socialize.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment